Salva nuestros cielos nocturnos

Light pollution in Jackson has become a problem for the health and safety of people and wildlife, not to mention the wasted money and energy associated with unnecessary artificial light. Light pollution also impedes our ability to enjoy dark night skies. Many other cities around the globe are capitalizing on promoting their efforts to restore their night skies. We can save our night skies too! Wyoming Stargazing is embarking on a campaign to Salva nuestros cielos nocturnos in Jackson Hole and we need your help. You can sign up below for the Save Our Night Skies e-mail list to receive updates on what?s happening with this campaign and you can participate in our proyecto de investigación de ciencia ciudadana with your smartphone to collect data on light pollution in Jackson Hole. Download instructions for how to participate in the proyecto de investigación de ciencia ciudadana aquí!

With generous support from the Fundación comunitaria de Jackson Hole, la Teton Conservation District, 1% for the Tetons, la JH Travel and Tourism Board, Fotografía itinerante gratuita, la Grupo de fotografía Teton, la Alianza para la Conservación de Jackson Hole, and many private donors we’re trying to help the Town of Jackson and Grand Teton National Park achieve Dark Sky Certification from the Asociación Internacional de Cielo Oscuro. Why? Keep reading this page to discover all the answers and more.

Ready to Get Involved?

Carácter de la comunidad

Dark Night Skies es parte del carácter de la comunidad en Jackson (Política del plan integral 1.3.d). Those of us who live in Jackson Hole are incredibly fortunate to be in a place where we can still see a spectacular number of stars from just a few miles outside of the Town of Jackson. As of 2016, only 20% of people in the US could see the arms of the Milky Way Galaxy from where they lived (Faichi et al. 2016). En el centro de Jackson, esa vista está muy cerca de perderse.

Fauna y ecosistemas

Los animales sufren tanto como los humanos con la iluminación excesiva o innecesaria durante la noche. Moths and other insects are attracted to brighter lights. The light causes them to leave their natural area, which leads birds and bats to expend more energy hunting those insects farther from their homes. Light pollution also negatively affects the migration of birds, resulting in an estimated 1,000,000,000+ bird deaths every year. Larger prey species are also left at a disadvantage because more light means fewer places to hide. That excess light allows predators to create dangerous instabilities in ecosystems.

Salud humana

Varios estudios científicos have shown that lighting at night disrupts sleep patterns and hormone production. Some of those hormones have been proven to help mitigate cancerous growths. With properly shielded lighting?ideally using a warm color (reddish instead of blueish)?sleep is drastically improved and hormones such as melatonin are produced naturally, allowing for improved health.

Seguridad Pública

La creencia de que más iluminación conduce a más seguridad no es más que un mito.. “There is no clear scientific evidence that increased outdoor lighting deters crimes. It may make us feel safer, but has not been shown to make us safer” (IDA). Unshielded lighting causes our eyes to adjust to the brightness of the light itself, thereby hiding objects or people hidden behind the light in the shadows. Shielded lighting increases visibility by reducing glare, which makes it easier to pick out would-be criminals as well as people and animals crossing the road.

Energía desperdiciada

“[The International Dark Sky Association] estimates that at least 30 percent of all outdoor lighting in the U.S. alone is wasted, mostly by lights that aren?t shielded. That adds up to $3.3 billion and the release of 21 million tons of carbon dioxide per year!“

Más información

• Asociación Internacional de Cielo Oscuro
• Conciencia de los cielos oscuros
• Revista Sky and Telescope: todo lo que quería saber sobre la contaminación lumínica
• Globo de noche
• Programa de concientización sobre la luz fatal (FLAP)

Término corto ? 1 año

• Tener el lenguaje apropiado para la certificación de cielo oscuro incluido en la ciudad de Jackson y el condado de Teton. Regulaciones de desarrollo territorial (LDR)

¿Interino? 1-4 años

• Hacer que el hardware de iluminación de cielo oscuro esté disponible localmente
• Obtenga la certificación Dark Sky para Jackson, el condado de Teton y el Parque Nacional Grand Teton

A largo plazo ? 5 años

• Disminuir el nivel de contaminación lumínica en Jackson de un 5 a un 4 en el Escala de Bortle
• Disminuir el nivel de contaminación lumínica en GTNP de 3 a 2 en el Escala de Bortle

The Town of Jackson and Teton County

The Town of Jackson and Teton County accepted 49 or our 51 proposed amendments to the Exterior Lighting Standard and Sign Standard. These new Land Development Regulations can be found by clicking on the links below.

Teton County Exterior Lighting Standard and Sign Standard (pages 236-242 and 262-270)

Grand Teton National Park

We completed a comprehensive outdoor lighting inventory of Grand Teton National Park earlier this summer. The full report can be viewed here. The good news is that GTNP is well on its way to becoming Dark Sky compliant.